News, notes and reader questions about the San Francisco 49ers

December 9, 2011

Patrick Willis, who missed every practice this week with a hamstring strain, is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals. So are starting cornerbacks Tarell Brown (ankle) and Carlos Rogers (knee) and wide receiver Braylon Edwards (knee). Brown and Edwards were limited in practice all week; Rogers missed Wednesday's session and was limited on Thursday and Friday.

According to NFL guidelines, a questionable designation means a player has a 50 percent chance of playing in the upcoming game. My sense of the situation is that Willis will not play against the Cardinals while the other three players will. One bit of evidence that points to Willis not playing -- NaVorro Bowman will be wearing the radio receiver for the 49ers defense on Sunday.

***********************
Jim Harbaugh said he'd be surprised if Andrew Luck doesn't win the Heisman trophy on Saturday, but he said Luck won't be too disappointed if, say, Baylor's Robert Griffin, Jr. wins it instead. Harbaugh, who came in third in the Heisman voting in 1986, said individual awards were not important to Luck.

"Individual awards in a team sport don't mean that much to me as well," Harbaugh said. "I don't think that changes life one way or the other. ... A very hyped thing. Probably way over-hyped, ridiculously over-hyped."

***********************
Outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,000 by the NFL for striking Rams quarterback A.J. Feely in the head on Sunday. Brooks previously was fined $7,500 for hitting Seattle quarterback Tarvaris Jackson in Week 1.

Rams running back Jerious Norwood, meanwhile, was fined $7,500 for chop-blocking linebacker Parys Haralson. Receiver Kyle Williams, who was penalized for an illegal block in the back, was not fined.

MATTHEW BARROWS

Matt was born in Blacksburg, Va., and attended the University of Virginia. He graduated in 1995, went to Northwestern for a journalism degree a year later, and got his first job at a South Carolina daily in 1997. He joined The Bee as a Metro reporter in 1999 and started covering the 49ers in 2003. His favorite player of all time is Darrell Green.